Met Éireann issues status orange rain alert for Cork and Kerry

Met Éireann has upgraded the status yellow rain alert for Cork and Kerry this weekend to status orange.

The national forecaster is warning that very heavy and persistent rain, with highest accumulations in mountainous areas, could lead to river and coastal flooding, as well as creating difficult and disruptive driving conditions.

The weather warning will come into effect from midnight tomorrow night, and will stay in place until 11pm on Saturday.

Cork County Council crews will be deployed to inspect key high-risk areas and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the alerted time period. 

Pumping arrangements will be in place in known problem locations, with members of the public advised to exercise caution as driving conditions may be dangerous on Saturday.

Motorists are advised to avoid driving through flowing or standing water and to exercise caution during heavy rain, while also being conscious of cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

Issues such as flooding and road damage can be reported over the course of the weekend to the council’s emergency out-of-hours number via 021-480-0048.

The public are advised to stay away from coastal areas during this time.

A status yellow rain warning also remains in place for Clare, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and Mayo.

The weather forecast for Munster will see mostly cloudy and damp conditions tomorrow, with further outbreaks of rain.

There will be a few sunny spells in the afternoon, especially in the southwest of the region, with highs of 14 to 17 degrees and moderate to fresh southerly winds.

This will quickly change on Saturday, as the national outlook has predicted wet and breezy conditions with widespread rain across the country.

Temperatures on Saturday will stay between 14 to 17 degrees with fresh south or southeast winds, dropping to as low as 9 degrees throughout the night.

The widespread outbreaks of showery rain will gradually become confined to the north and east of the country by early Sunday morning, as drier and clearer conditions move in from the southwest.

Highest temperatures on Sunday will reach between 15 to 18 degrees, with moderate southerly winds, fresher for the west and southwest.

Additionally, a small craft warning for all coasts of Ireland also remains in place, which will come into effect from 10pm tonight until midnight on Sunday.

The marine alert warns of south or southeast winds that will reach force 6 or higher at times.